Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake | 2020 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 8
Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake
Providence Park – Portland
August 29 – 10:30 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, on DAZN in Canada

LOCAL TV: FOX 12 Plus (KPDX)

Two teams on opposite sides of lopsided derby results meet at Providence Park when the Portland Timbers host Real Salt Lake Saturday night.

The Timbers suffered a 3-0 defeat to the Seattle Sounders, while Real Salt Lake celebrated a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rapids in their latest Rocky Mountain Cup victory.

The teams split a pair of results a year ago, with the Timbers winning 1-0 at Providence Park with Diego Valeri scoring the lone goal in the 16th minute.

Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers were scheduled to play the San Jose Earthquakes Wednesday night. But the players decided to sit out the match, following the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, who didn't report to the court for their scheduled playoff game against the Orlando Magic that afternoon, as players continue to support the Black Lives Matter movement and protests against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

"The Portland Timbers stand in support of our players and their decision not to play tonight," the Timbers' club statement said. "Racial injustice and police brutality toward Black people in our country must end now."

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Dairon Asprilla (M) - left knee injury
- OUT: Blake Bodily (M) - right thigh injury
- QUESTIONABLE: Yimmi Chara (M) - right thigh injury
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution:None
International duty: None

Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake were set to host LAFC Wednesday night, but it was another match postponed.

“Whenever you’re provided with a platform and you make a significant change or just try to create a new narrative or a new conversation, I think you have to capitalize on that moment and as players — barring things like on our social media where we can say or do whatever — if you are to protest and make a stand, you have to do it in a way which is unfortunately uncomfortable for a lot of people,” Nedum Onuoha said. “But that uncomfortable nature a lot of people have to live through on a day-to-day basis, and I think today in showing solidarity with what’s going on in Wisconsin and around the rest of the country, and showing solidarity towards what’s happening in the NBA and so on and so forth, I think for me personally it makes a very, very big statement.

“And people will miss out on entertainment — but at the end of the day it’s entertainment. There are other things that are going on, which are essentially life or death, which should be a bigger part of any conversation that exists today, as opposed to maybe just missing out on an MLS game or an NBA game.”

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Douglas Martinez (F) - concussion
- OUT: Christopher Garcia (M) - undisclosed injury
Suspended: Kyle Beckerman (M)
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None